Basileus

Etymology

The etymology of the word remains not very clear. If the word is originally Greek then it could derive from the word “basis” (bases). But this origin is doubtful, the majority of the linguists suppose that it is a word adopted by the Greeks with the Bronze Age starting from a preexistent linguistic substrate in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Ancient Greece

The first known use of the word is found on terracotta shelves discovered in the excavations of palate mycénien having undergone the destruction by fire. The shelves are dated from with and are written in Linéaire B. The term “basileus” (qa-if-Re-U) was originally used for the noble ones or senior officials who were the supervisors of separate districts of the states mycéniens. The exact functions and position of a qasireu are little known and remain prone to dispute.

The Greek sovereigns are designated like wanax ( wa-Na-ka in linear B). The title of wanax - which will more tardily become anax - is most of the time translated by “high-king” and means “who exerts suzerainty on other kings”. The wanwax thus exerts the power on several basileis local and according to some that would make this organization company of a proto-feudal type of the Bronze Age. The significance of the word extends later within the meaning of king as the writings of Homère attest it in which Agamemnon and Priam carries this title.

The kings achéménides of Persia were also named Megas Basileus (large king) or Basileus Basileon , translation of Persan the Shâhanshâh (king of the kings).

The use of the basileus term was limited in some Greek states which had never abolished the royal transfer of power by heredity. Thus was named the kings of Sparte, those of Macedonia and Épire and other kings of the tribes Barbare S of Thrace and Illyrie.

The term is also used with Athens during the traditional period to indicate one of the Archonte S, the direction here is only symbolic system for the function of priest. In the other city-states, the term is never used. A sovereign rather took the title of Tyran or Archonte

The title was carried by Alexandre Large the and its Greek successors in Egypt, Asia and Macedonia. During female is basilissa and designates a queen reigning like Cléopâtre or a queen consort.

Then, the term refers to any king of a zone grecophone within the Roman Empire, such as for example Hérode in Judaea.

Byzance

At times of the Byzantine Empire, the basileus is the Empereur. Héraclius adopted this term to replace the Latin title of Augustus ( Augustos in Greek translation) in 629, it then took the direction of “emperor”. He is used as titrates official starting from Justinien II whereas the Greek gradually replaces Latin on the coins and in the official documents.

When the Romans conquered the the Mediterranean, the imperial title “Caesar Augustus” was initially translated by “Kaisar Sebastos” and later hellenized in “Kaisar Augoustos”. “Imperator”, another imperial title, was translated into “Autokrator”. “BASILEUS” was engraved on the Byzantine currency in Latin writing (in the place of “C.IMP. ” for “Caesar Imperator”). It is only later that the Greek writing was used.

The title of basileus becomes the object of a great controversy when Charlemagne was crowned “emperor of the Romans”. The oriental party of the empire was directed by the empress Irene, regent of her son Constantin VI. The unworthy way in which behaved Irene with her son (it made him burst the eyes and imprisoned it) added to the aversion of the Francs to the concept of a reigning empress generated a certain repulsion between the two parts.

Charlemagne proposed nevertheless the marriage with Irene, but she refused, named rather itself “basileus” than “basilissa” and did not recognize the imperial title of Charlemagne.

Divine design

The basileus, lieutenant of God

The basileus car its authority of God, and not of his predecessor. Jean II will consider thus that the “load of the Empire had been entrusted to him by God”. This divine intervention is all the more clear when the Emperor is a usurper: such is thus the case of Nicéphore Ier and Basile Ier, to which “God conceded to reign on the Christians for the generation present”.

As an individual, the basileus is only one appearance and all its acts depend closely on the divine will. This design meets primarily in military operations: Alexis Ier Comnène and Jean II Comnène estimates thus that the army is placed “under God, general-in-chief, and me, his sub-order”: a military campaign can thus be committed only if it takes the way wanted by God. This design necessarily implies that no matter who can be elected by God to go up on the imperial throne: Justin Ier, Michel II, Basile Ier, Michel IV or Michel V, all men of the people, were regarded as selected among the people to reign on the Empire.

Under these conditions, the Emperor can do everything within the limits of the divine will and its victories are those of a soldier of God.

This divine design of the imperial function carries for consequence that, to revolt against the Emperor is a revolt against God; revolted against the basileus is an enemy of God (θεομάχος) or a sacrilege (καθοσίώσίς, term employed by Michel Attaleiatès at the time of the revolt of Constantin Doukas against Nicéphore Ier).

Symbols of the capacity

The Emperor is surrounded, on ground, of a decorum symbolizing the divine origin of his function: its divine power must impose the idea of it on whoever is introduced in its presence. It is the terrestrial image that the Byzantines see divine world. This topic of the Emperor-sun is used at the Court of Leon VI, Alexis I {{er}} and of Alexis III. The same applies to Romain IV which, at the time of its crossing of the Central Asia, is looked by its soldiers as being “the equal one of God”.

The most important symbol of the imperial capacity remains however purple: the Emperor is covered with crimson, and in particular fitted boots crimsons, the kampagia , which are par excellence the sign of the imperial capacity: as long as the Emperor the door, it can claim with the Empire (thus, Basile II refuses he to receive the tender of Bardas Sklèros as long as it was not stripped any). Only the Emperor, delegated of God, can use of imperial crimson (clothing, diadems, fit).

Another symbol of the capacity is the currency, the Nomisma of gold or the Millarision of money, which are covered with a crowned value so much so that the only fact of throwing them to ground and to press them constitute an offense made with the Emperor.

Legal authority

If the basileus is regarded as being the elected official of God, he does not see of them less his acts slowed down by the respect of legality: being the personified law, it cannot, without denying itself, falling into tyrannical excesses. It is thus, will say Kékavménos, subjected to the laws which guarantee piety.

Most important of the laws to which the basileus is subjected is the law of succession to the throne: even if all comes from God, the Byzantine remains persuaded that a takeover forces is not legal. Isaac Ier Comnène thus comes from there to abdicate, corroded by the remorse to have taken the capacity contrary to the laws.

The laws of succession, even not written, constitute “the rights common of the Roman Empire” that the basileus can interpret, to the deficiencies of which it can compensate by personal decisions made in accordance with the Greek habits.

It does not remain about it less than the throne appears as a community property which the Emperor does not hesitate to have with his will: thus for example, the decision of Constantin IX to choose itself its successor, as much as the oath imposed by Constantin X on his wife of never remarier was looked at, in particular by the ecclesiastical authority, like illegal and not tending to the community property.

Same manner, the attribution of the functions of the State cannot proceed of imperial imagination.

Dynastic principle

The dynastic principle, namely the hereditary transmission of the imperial capacity, is essential gradually and mainly as from the 9th century.

The reigning empresses are confined in a special room of the Palais crowned, the will porphyra and the child is born thus porphyrogénète : it is a presumption which he will become heir to the throne.

The dynastic right is essential definitively with the dynasty Macedonian: to ensure its succession, Basile Ier associates with the throne his/her children Constantin, Leon and Alexandre, thus inaugurating a practice which will remain.

His/her oldest son, Alexandre III, sterile, dies without child. Leon VI, his successor, contracts three marriages without being able to generate of heir entitled to succeed: he must then, in violation of the Civil code which he itself enacted, to contract a fourth union from which is born a son, Constantin, that the Zoe empress takes care to give birth to in will porphyra.

Become emperor, Constantin VII will see his legal illegitimacy being erased in front of the statute of porphyrogénète , intended it to differentiate from his/her father-in-law, the associated emperor Romain Ier Lécapène: if this one manages to associate its own sons with the throne, he does not manage however to draw aside Constantin of the succession. The dismissal of Lécapène father and wire clearly establishes the attachment of the Byzantines to the hereditary transmission of the throne: the legitimate heir is the son of Leon VI, notwithstanding the circumstances of his design.

Of the same Romain II the Macedonian associates it his two sons, Basile II and Constantin VIII with the throne: although usurpers, Nicéphore II Phokas and Jean Ier Tzimiskès cannot draw aside them from the throne.

This attachment of the Byzantines to the principle of legitimacy will lead the people, with dead of Zoe then of her husband Constantin IX, to draw from its convent the last girl of Constantin VIII, Théodora in order to proclaim it basileia .

Others

Words drawing their origin from basileus

basil, royal grass
basil, mythological reptile
Basilica, royal house
Basile, male first name, and its derivatives (see Vassili)
Basle, name of a Swiss city, in Latin Basilia

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